The Lost Pendant
by heatherpebble
Summary: Holly Nightshade thought she was an ordinary girl with an ordinary life, until she finds out how her mother really died. She's actually a child of the Nephilim- half demon and half angel. Not only that, but all of her new shadowhunter friends expect her to find a pendant that's been missing from their kind for years- and she's got no clue where to start.
1. Chapter 1

It was eerily quiet for a night in Manhattan, New York. No footsteps echoed off the pavement, and no cars prowled down the road. The only sound was the electrical hum of the city lights buzzing, but even that wasn't loud enough to provide any comfort to a girl walking along the asphalt, wearing a twilight black coak that melted into the shadows. She was the only one on the street, walking alone in the dark.

Her skin prickled, and her gaze darted about, looking for any possible others who may have crossed her path. But nothing emerged from the shadows, and the still silence hung in the air, like the city was holding its breath and waiting for something to happen. It sent a bitter cold shiver down her spine, like an ice cold water droplet slowly dripping down the skin on her back.

At last the girl had made it to an alley between two large, crumbled down buildings. Shards of glass littered the alley and windows were shattered. Not the best part of town, she thought. Her anxiety rose as she tentatively stepped into the darkest shadow she could find, and swept the hood of her cloak over her head to conceal herself. Then she vanished with a struggled choking sound, the only evidence being that she was here was a wavering piece of glass that had been shifted by her swaying cloak.

Holly woke up with a jolt, rubbing away the nightmare that still seemed to be glued under her eyelids. She shook out her glossy black locks of hair groggily, and slid off of her raggedy bed, the pain from old springs digging into her back starting to ache. She let her gaze travel around the room as she looked for her brush, and once she found the old thing, she ran it through her hair, wincing as the bristles caught into her wavy tangles. When she was finished, Holly made the way to her closet and slipped on an old tanktop and some old jean shorts, nothing special.

But flashes of her nightmare kept returning to her mind, of the woman in the alley, and the choking darkness that had engulfed her. It felt as if maybe it wasn't a dream, because she felt a strange recognition toward the woman, even if it was faint. And something ominous crept up her spine when she thought about it, as if, even for a moment, she _was _the woman. Holly dismissed the thought, quickly pulling on a jacket and creeping downstairs to find her scruffy father asleep on the couch.

Years ago, her mother had died, leaving just Holly and her father, no one else. Ever since then Mr. Nightshade had been lazy as ever, spending most of his time gulping liquor and beer down his throat instead of helping Holly out with schoolwork or bothering about her. Holly, naturally, had learned to take care of herself, but it still hurt to know that, as she stepped out into the chilly air on the front porch, her father didn't care where she went or what happened to her.

As she turned around, hugging herself as a cold wind hit her face and wrapped itself around her neck, billowing her hair, she noticed a car parked by her house. It was an old, rickety convertible that had a horrible, ugly paint job of beige. The top part that was supposed to come off was dented grotesquely, and for a highschooler to even glance at the car, you'd know who was driving it. Her best friend, Aidan Thompson.

She laughed as he awkwardly stepped out of the car, trying to shove the stubborn car doors closed. Once they shut with a bang, he hobbled over clumsily. Classic Aidan for you.

"What are _you _doing here?" Holly asked him, still stifling laughter as he rubbed his arms in the cold.

"Well I was kinda bored today, so I was wondering if you wanted to go get something for breakfast or..." Aidan scratched his ruffled hair uncertainly.

"Sure, it's not like my dad cares. I might as well move to China or something," she replied, hopping into the front seat of his grandpa's old car, Aidan climbing in the driver's seat. "So..ever considering getting a new car?" Holly teased.

"Ah, maybe. Gramps doesn't really know about trends I suppose, and this convertibles a bit old to be 'cool'." Aidan laughed. Holly smiled. Aidan had been her friend since the beginning of high school, when they were just freshmen, and they had a pretty strong friendship, even if it wasn't as strong as the one she had with Willow, another best friend of hers.

As the car sped down the Manhattan highway, Holly observed all the different people bustling down the streets, all doing different things. Some were on phones, some were jamming out, and others were begging people to drop a coin in an old hat. Then her eyes fell on some lady in the car next to hers, thumbs jabbing away at a digital keyboard on an iPhone. And then the lady turned around, and it was the most macabre sight Holly had ever seen.

Her eyes were hollowed out into black dents, with secrets lurking inside their shadowy depths. The lady's thumbs were long and clawed, with blood dripping off of them and landing on the phone's screen like scarlet jewels. As Holly stared, frozen in fear, the woman let out an unearthly hiss, razor sharp fangs glinting in the dawn light.

Then Holly screamed.


	2. Chapter 2

Suddenly, all the possibilities of a woman being swallowed by shadows in an alleyway seemed possible. It all came rushing back to her in a nauseating wave, all the nightmares and fear she'd ever dismissed seemed to be right in front of her now. Until she felt Aidan's hand on her shoulder, and saw that the woman was lighting a cigarette, looking at her with a disdainful expression.

"D-did you see that?" She whispered, rolling up the window gingerly, letting her fingers graze over the car controls. "That...thing..the woman. Sh-she wasn't.." Holly looked on, and felt herself trembling in pure fear.

"What's the matter? Why'd you scream?" Aidan had a look of bewilderment and concern shining in his blue eyes. Holly let their blue depths calm her down, like the ocean tide lapping at her feet peacefully, the sound of the waves and the fresh sea air clearing her senses.

"I'm fine, Aidan. It's-it's fine." She made sure her tone was final, so that Aidan knew not to continue the conversation. Either she had been going crazy, or what had happened really was real. Both ways, Aidan would worry about her and probably tell her dad or think she was high.

As they pulled into Waffle House's crowded parking lot, Holly noticed a familiar shape standing at the entrance to the breakfast restaurant, tapping her toes in impatience. Holly dashed over, not waiting for Aidan to lock up the car first. Like it would matter if that piece of junk got high jacked, she thought.

"Willow!" She gasped, hugging her friend tightly. Willow patted her on the back, and went back to chewing and smacking on her gum loudly. Her friend pulled up her sunglasses, pointing at Aidan kicking the car.

"What's with him?" Willow asked through a wad of gum glued to her teeth. Holly shrugged, all of her worries forgotten now that she was with her two best friends.

"Old gramps car won't last for long," Holly laughed. Aidan at last came to stand beside them on the sidewalk, glancing at the glass doors to the restaurant. They were stained with the fingerprints of various other people in Manhattan, and the metal handles were greased with sweat.

They strolled inside, and to their surprise, it wasn't very crowded at all. Only a few others remained at the bar seats, sipping on some morning hot chocolate to warm theirselves in the cold weather. The three friends walked over to another table, farthest away from everyone else, and sat down, deciding on their orders.

As Holly scanned the menu, picking what she wanted, Aidan spoke up. "So guys, I've been meaning to ask you something." He scratched the back of his neck, a common nervous habit for him.

"What is it?" Willow and Holly asked in unison. Aidan scratched again, and explained. "Well, tonight, Samuel, my old buddy, is having a party. He said I could have a plus two or whatever so his party looks more 'cool'. Well, wanna come?" He finished.

"Why not? Just so long as it doesn't have lame music and all those annoying, slutty preps that every party has." Willow muttered sarcastically.

"I'm sure it'll be fun," Holly nudged Willow in the arm. "We'd love to come, and I'm sure it's only a few of our good friends going, right?"

"Oh yeah, of course. That's great, glad your coming guys." He shot an unwavering glance at Willow for a second, his expression surprisingly unreadable. Then, suddenly, the waitress came by, and Aidan had to peel his bright blue eyes away from her.

"Hi there guys. Thanks for coming to Waffle House! I'm Michelle and I'll be your waitress today. Can I get you guys anything to start off, or are you ready for your meals?" The waitress, Michelle, repeated all the classic, robot-like things all servers said at restaurants.

The three friends ordered their meals, and Michelle scampered off with her waitresses' notepad, eager to bark orders at the chef. Holly glanced back at her friends.

"So, about that party..." She began.

* * *

Willow stomped on the rickety brakes of Aidan's old grandpa car until it sputtered like a sick horse, and the engine died out at last. She pulled out the keys irritably, slamming the car door to the driver's seat closed after sliding off the torn leather chair.

"How do you drive this thing? Your grandfather _has_ to get you a new car before I get you one myself!" Willow snapped, trying to pry open Holly's door. At last it swung open, nearly hitting Willow in the head until she grabbed it and held it in place for Holly to slip out as well.

"Actually, I would very much appreciate a new car from you. When can we get it?" Aidan's tone was layered with heavy sarcasm, but it didn't sound as if he was trying to be rude, so Holly just rang the doorbells to Samuel's house and left her two friends to tease each other.

Yet as the door opened, Holly couldn't help gasping, "What the hell did you do?" As Samuel poked his head through the doorway, his eye swollen shut and black.

"It's make-up, Holly! Chill out dude!" He replied, laughing. Holly knotted her hands together in silent relief, for she wasn't gonna be walking into a party where a bunch of boys were knocking each other's brains out, if they even had brains to begin with.

"Why try and fake a black eye?" She asked as she walked in, Willow and Aidan following. As Samuel shut the door behind him with a bang, he answered, "For more reactions like the one you just gave me," and he winked mischievously.

Then he beckoned up a slightly long staircase, toward the bedrooms. "We were playing truth or dare just before you guys came in, but lucky us that you're finally here now! Me, Brittney, and Erik wanted to try one of those seances and see if it's real!" Samuel explained excitedly, pointing toward a closet door in the hallway.

"Seriously, Sam? That's childish." Holly complained. "You know it's not real, what's the point?"

As Samuel slid the closet door open, Holly noticed Brittney and Eric, her other friends, sitting Indian style on the floor, a ouija board, a wax candle, and a small bowl of grapes in the center of them both, enough for all the five friends to sit in a small, tight circle around it. She sighed in frustration, incredulous that her friends really wanted to try this out. But for some reason, Willow seemed to tense next to her, muttering something under her breath in a language she didn't understand.

"I can't believe we are seriously doing this." Willow said more loudly this time, putting her hands on her hips in a stubborn sort of gesture, like she was saying she refused to do this without an explanation. Holly put her palms over her face in pure exasperation.

"We might as well do it," Holly answered. "Just get it over with. Besides, this is probably better than truth or dare or something else Sam probably has in mind."

Samuel shrugged, walking towards the door and locking it shut. Then, he shut off the lights with a _click_ as Holly plopped down in between Aidan and Willow. He hobbled over and sat down with a thud next to Eric, and took a small match out of his pocket.

"Well, you got awfully prepared for all this. And what are you gonna do if someone gets _possessed_?" Willow pointed out, her voice dripping with sheer sarcasm and annoyance.

"Probably run screaming and leave them locked in the room," Samuel replied cooly. "Don't worry, I'll make sure there aren't any possessions...yet." And he made a small, fake evil laugh.

"Funny, Sam. Let's just start, okay?" Brittney spoke up. Holly nodded in a agreement, and Sam let the fire touch the tip of the candle. The flames seemed to lick hungrily towards the wax as it melted slowly into an oily liquid.

"Alright, Eric, you start it. You'll be the medium," Sam muttered, glancing down with a confused expression at his phone. "That's what Wikihow says, at least."

"What do I do?" Eric muttered nervously. Holly noticed that he seemed to be subtly writhing around in an uncomforted manner, as if he believed in this stuff and thought something would happen to him.

"Read this," Samuel handed over his android to Eric, and Holly saw his dark eyes flick to and fro about the screen, absorbing in the typed directions.

Then he placed his index finger on the board, moving the planchette around for a second until it pointed to the letter 'G'. Then he stopped and shut the phone off with a click, handing it with his free hand to Samuel. "Everyone, place your index or middle fingers on the planchette with me." He directed.

Everyone, including Willow, placed it on the board. Then Eric muttered, "We need an opening ritual. Any words you think I should say?"

Holly thought for a moment, breathing in the sharp, musty smell of incense that lingered in the room. She let it cleanse her thoughts and tingle the hairs in her nose, then something came to her. "Well, are we trying to reach anyone in specific?" Willow snorted next to her.

"I can't believe you're getting into this, Holly." Willow muttered. Brittney giggled. "Who cares about what spirit we reach? Let's just talk to anyone we can."

Eric nodded. "Okay, I'll try. Let's see...okay, I think this may work. Greetings, spirit. My name is Eric Rodriguez, and I would like to speak to you. I do not mean to disturb you from your rest, but please allow the living to speak to the dead." He waited a moment before whispering, "Was that good?"

Then a tug on Holly's hand stopped her from answering as the planchette moved. "Who..who's doing that?" She asked. No one replied, and they all stared in awe as the chunk of wood moved until it pointed at 'yes' in the corner of the ouija board.

"Well, if that was the ghost, he doesn't think your speeches are too shabby, Eric." Samuel chuckled. "What should we ask it?"

Eric gulped, staring at the board as if something were going to leap out and grab him. "Anything you want, I guess." He trembled, and his voice wavered as he spoke.

"I'll go, if someone's actually _not_ faking this, I'll go," Holly stated. "Alright, spirits. Let's get to know each other. Tell me something about yourself." She joked.

"We should've warded it off when we started," Holly heard Willow mutter under her breath. Holly cocked her head in confusion, but then dismissed willow's odd behavior as the planchette started to move toward the letter "L".

Then it stopped for a moment, as if the spirit was taking a minute to think. Then it pointed towards "O", then "S", then landed at "T" and paused again.

"Lost," Aidan read uncertainly. "You sure you guys aren't doing anything?"

"Nope," everyone replied in unison, and a few people had a waver to their tones, as if it was starting to scare them.

And then the planchette moved again, picking up speed this time. It moved to "P", then "E", then "N", then "D", then "A", then "N", and stopped at "T".

"Lost pendant," Willow breathed in shock.

"What? Is something wrong?" Holly asked her friend, hearing the concern in her own voice.

"N-no, it's just I...it...you wouldn't-" And then she was cut off as the planchette started to push upwards, a strong force against their fingers. It flew across the room, shattering an old flowerpot. Then the ouija board hurled itself at Willow, and she ducked at the last second before it landed with a _THUMP_ at the door.

"Well, some spirits woke up on the wrong side of the bed," Samuel muttered.

"This isn't funny, Sam! That thing almost _killed _Willow!" Holly gasped. Willow just stood in pure surprise and shock, as if she was frozen into fear.

"We have to get out of here, before the demon kills one of us," She breathed, still panting from shock.

"Demon?" Holly asked, her eyes widening in surprise as the ouija board started to levitate again, and hurled itself at Willow again, a hair away from her eye as Willow dodged at the last minute.

"Jus-just get out, everyone!" Willow screamed, shoving her hand into her boot and grabbing something, hiding it behind her back. Holly nodded, and dragged Aidan out the door, struggling to unlock the bolt.

Then the ouija board hurled itself again, but not at Willow this time.

Holly's knees buckled as the ouija board sent a ringing pain through her head.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Just a note before you read this chapter. It probably is a little confusing if you haven't read Mortal Instruments, but I'm working on explaining the basics enough so even if you aren't a TMI fan you can read this. It probably is a bit boring, but it takes a lot of dialogue to explain such an amazing series like the one Cassandra Clare created. Anyways, thanks for reading this :3 I'm hoping to get some reviews so I can see what people think of my story. Eventually the book will have some action, don't worry. And I plan on continuing with a second book if this one is a success, and then it'll get a lot better c:**_

Holly's eyelids felt heavy as she pried them open slowly. Everything around her looked strange and fuzzy, like she was peering through a film of choppy water. Although her vision was fuzzy, she seemed to be lying in a sort of infirmary, with a bunch of other beds and a few shelves with some herbs and medicines. Holly rubbed her temples, feeling a sharp pain like a knife at the side of her head, and gasped as it seemed to send small, painful shocks through her arms and legs. She faintly tried to remember what might've put her in this kind of state, and then the memory hit her- the ouiji board, the seance, and how everything went black all of a sudden.

"It's about time you've woken up, Holly," a strangely familiar voice murmured. Holly's gaze darted about, searching the source of the voice. But her vision was still foggy, and she could only make up a wavering shape leaning at the end of the bed, slowly coming into focus. It was a girl, dressed in a gray sweater and skintight, leather black jeans with combat boots. Her hair was a honey gold, with streaks of platinum blonde. Her lean, nimble fingers were fumbling around a strangely shaped, pointy object.

"Who are you?" Holly muttered, backing up as the girl swished her glossy hair away from her face. It was none other than her best friend, Willow. She didn't recognize the neatly brushed hair and the slim black clothes on her best friend- it just wasn't like Willow to dress like that.

"Recognize me _now_?" Willow teased, smacking on gum as usual. Holly gulped, something about Willow seemed strangely...intimidating. Yet, she had a friendly spark in her striking gray eyes, as if she was trying to lure Holly in or invite her somewhere.

"Yes, but why am I here? What is this place?" Holly stuttered, putting her hand to the side of her head as a load of questions came rushing into her head, wanting to spill out of her mouth. But Holly held them back and closed her eyes tightly as a searing pain tingled down her spine like a shockwave of hurt. Willow picked up the pointy object and beckoned Holly over.

"You have a little bit of a neck injury where the ouija board hit you, but an _iratze_ can help with that," Willow suggested. Holly backed away instead of coming closer, scanning the pointy object nervously.

"Answer my questions, Willow," Holly demanded, hoping her voice didn't waver as much as she thought it was. Willow blinked in surprise, then sighed in resignation. She twirled the object in between her lean fingers, as if she was delaying Holly's question. Then, she launched into explanation.

"Well, Holly..basically, you're not a mundane. And before you ask," Willow added, making Holly close her mouth, "A mundane is someone...someone like Eric or Brittney. Someone..._human_." She explained, saying 'human' as if it was something she didn't want being spoken through her lips. "And since you're not human, I have to protect you, because the demon said it itself: you're the only one who can find the lost pendant, and that's pretty important since we've been missing it for quite the while, like, a thousand years, so, like,-"

"Woah woah woah, slow down there. _Not human_?" Holly cut her off, blinking in surprise.

"God, Holly. You're really gonna make me explain it all?" Willow rolled her eyes. "You have the blood of the Nephilim in you, so that means that you're, well, half human and half angel. Also known as shadowhunters. We kill demons, too. Isn't that cool?"

"We? You're a shadowhunter?" Holly gasped. "Am I dreaming? Or is this some prank of yours...or...," she trailed off in wonder. "So...if this is real, I'm half angel, huh?"

"Well, yeah, pretty much. I mean, your parents were, so that certainly makes you one," Willow said lightly, as if the matter wasn't really all that big of a deal. Holly narrowed her eyes in incredulity for a moment, a bit disbelieving of the entire story Willow was telling her.

"Alright, well, I can tell you still can't believe me. I'm not stupid, and I've known you for a while, so I'll be honest with you," she shrugged carelessly. "Your dad is a shadowhunter too, but he became a slob after a Raum demon killed your mother. Don't ask what a Raum demon is, either, because you'll find out eventually. Your mother died fighting, and she was a really brave shadowhunter.

Your father had a seat in the Clave's council- which, by the way, is like a government for us shadowhunters. They interpret our Law. That pretty much means that your father had a really important job, but when your mother died, he didn't know what to do with himself. So the Clave kicked him out and sent him from Idris to New York so he could find a life as a mundane. When they kick out a shadowhunter, you see, they strip him or her of their Marks-" She paused for a second, and sighed irritably. "I really have to explain _that_ too?"

"I will," a voice spoke behind her. An older man, one Holly had never seen before, was standing stiff behind Willow. He was dressed formally, with a wisp of white hair in the center of his head, a cologne scented, brown, pinstriped suit, with a long tie sticking out like a scarlet tongue. His pants matched accordingly, and he was also wearing neat dress shoes that looked as if they had been shined so much you could see your own reflection on his toes.

"Who are you?" Holly muttered in awe, and pinched herself real quick, blinking. Well, that solved it. This actually _wasn't _a dream.

"Holly! Don't be disrespectful!" Willow gasped sharply, then added to the man, "Sorry, Mr. Goodwell, she's new, of course. She doesn't even know what shadowhunters are!"

"No problem at all, and if you will, please call me by Larkin, I find last names much too...eh, formal. But I suppose it is out of my place to say that, isn't it, in the attire that I am in?" the man laughed a wheezy kind of laugh that would most likely escape the lips of an old man such as Larkin. Holly smiled faintly, acknowledging the joke he tried to slip in there. "And you, I take it, are the one Willow's been telling me about?" Larkin gestured towards Holly.

"I guess so, I don't really know where I am," Holly looked at her hands in embarrassment. "I'm not sure what to believe, either..." she added.

"Well, all you really have to believe is that what Willow is saying is true, as crazy as it may seem to someone who, well, was raised in a mundane manner as such. Your father, as Willow was saying, was indeed stripped of his Marks. And I offered to explain, so I will. Marks, also known as runes, serve many different purposes. We Nephilim wear them with pride, as they give us skill and represent our kind and assist us in the anniliation of demonkind.

See here," and he paused to point at Willow, who lifted the sleeve of her leather jacket to reveal a swirling black Mark. Holly's eyes traveled along the intricate lines, absorbing the details.

"Each Mark has it's own, er, special ability. To put it in the simplest terms, all runes grant us abilities. But they only work for a certain amount of time, so once their use is done, the black will eventually fade to a scar. The rune that Willow just showed you is known as Agility. Can you take a guess at what it may do?" Larkin asked.

"Well, give her agility, right? Give her speed or something?" Holly suggested. Then she perked up, remembering something Willow had said earlier. "What's an iratze? And what's Willow holding?"

"I'm right here, you know!" Willow snapped. She twirled the object between her fingers, then handed it to Holly, who took it carefully and looked over it in awe. "That right there is a stele. We use them to Mark ourselves. As for an _iratze_, it's a healing rune, so I asked you if you wanted me to help you take away the pain from your neck by applying an iratze to you."

"However," Larkin stepped in, taking a minute to give Willow a hard stare. "If you apply runes to a mundane, the results will end badly. So we always want to be careful to only put Marks on fellow Nephilim, for that is what they are made for."

"Wait, how did you know I was a shadowhunter, then? I mean, my mom died in a car wreck, didn't she? And my dad got fired, not kicked out of some Clave thing." Holly said hastily, her voice rising in disbelief. Her doubt started to swamp over her again- there was no such thing as this stuff.

"Holly, I think this will take a long bit of explaining to do. But first, come with me so I can...well, tell you about our, more rather _your_ world properly." Larkin beckoned towards the door, and Holly slid out of the bed, Willow following close behind.


	4. Chapter 4

"So my mother didn't die in a car wreck, and she was killed by a demon," Holly repeated for the millionth time, gazing at the large glass case that held a model of what had, presumably, killed her mother. Larkin had been calling it a Raum demon, and it certainly didn't look pretty.

In its case, made of sculpting clay, it probably looked less terrifying than it did when it was moving its slimy body. It stood about as tall as a grown man, with slick white scales and beady, yet bulging black eyes. Even though they were plastic on the model, Holly could just imagine a real Raum demon glowering at her with those pupil-less eyes, making slurping noises with its puckering mouth. The rest of its body was branching out into curling tentacles, each coated in small red suckers containing needled teeth.

"It must be a lot to take in, for someone who was brought up as a...mundane," Larkin's voice sounded behind her. She averted her eyes to see him standing behind her, gazing up at the Raum demon model. "But yes, your mom was killed in battle by one of these demons. She was an amazing fighter, I may add."

"If she was so amazing, then how did she die?" Holly murmured, choking down her bitterness. Even though she had missed her mother for years, she started to realize how angry she was that her mother left her and her father for a battle, knowing she may never come back. She was also angry at her father for wallowing in his sorrows when he should be taking care of Holly and protecting her from the same fate her mother went through.

"It was a large battle," Larkin recalled. "Emily was surrounded by them, the Raum demons. She tried to fight, but there were too many. I heard her call for help, and so I ran...and I found her there. Dying.

I killed the Raum demons without mercy, and I tried to get help, but the poison had already killed her by the time I gathered a few fellow Shadowhunters. I couldn't let her go...she was my..." He trailed off, swallowing down tears.

"She was your what? What do you know about my mother?" Holly asked softly, squeezing one of his frail hands. "I need to know. You don't understand, I've never met my mother...and if you can help me know more about her and the life I've never known about, I'd really appreciate it."

"My sister, Holly. Your mother was my sister." Larkin answered. Holly's eyes widened. "You're...my uncle?" She whispered. Larkin nodded slowly.

"Emily was my younger sister. Your father and I are probably the only family you have in New York. I didn't tell you because I didn't even knew Emily _had_ a daughter until Willow told me about you. I wanted to meet you so badly, and at last I did," he explained.

"I'm sorry, I don't think you understand...this is a lot to take in," Holly laughed without amusement. She sighed, "I just need coffee or something."

"I do understand, Holly." Larkin's eyes searched her face desperately. "I'm here to help you learn about the life you've been missing out on. I won't pressure you for now, but you can't go home, not now that a demon has found you...and not now that it gave you that message."

"Message? You mean...when it said something about a lost pendant? I don't see why I can't go home, though." Holly hugged herself uncomfortably.

"Look, I would like to make a good first impression on you as your uncle," Larkin cleared his throat briskly, as if trying to change the subject to something lighter. "You can go have your coffee, go out with Willow and take a breath of some...well, some fresh air, though I don't know how fresh the air in New York is. Once you are done, just return to the Institute instead of going home."

"This place is called the Institute?" Holly muttered as they bustled out of the room, away from the Raum demon model. Larkin nodded, and said, "It's been here for quite the while, and many great Shadowhunters have walked these halls. By the time you're back, I'll have a room for you here."

"I still don't understand why I can't go-" Holly began, exasperated.

"All sorts of demons will be looking for you, and the only safe place is the Institute. Your father, Louis, won't be doing anything to keep you safe. Tomorrow morning, when we've all had rest, you, Willow, and a few other Shadowhunters here at the Institute can go and talk to your father." Larkin reasoned.

"Aren't you gonna come?"

"Ah, Holly. It would be stupid not to leave the Institute unguarded with all these demons lurking about. And I haven't done the sort of Shadowhunter business for quite the while. I like to leave that to the younger generation," he paused, then said, "Willow will have some gear for you, I'm sure."

"Gear? I-I'm so confused," Holly sighed irritably. Larkin nudged her toward the door, and he closed the door behind her as she walked out. She gazed along the seemingly endless halls. "Where would Willow be?" she muttered.

* * *

"So, Larkin explained everything? And he's your uncle? Brownie points for me," Willow joked, idly twirling her straw around in her coffee cup. They were sitting in the pungent air of Manhattan, outside Starbucks. Smoke and the smells of people wafted around them in the chilly, crisp fall atmosphere.

"I'm being serious, Willow. And, what are we gonna do about our friends like Aidan and Eric and Brittney? Are they Shadowhunters too?" Holly asked, taking a warm sip of French Vanilla.

"I told you earlier their all mundanes. I don't really care, though, to be honest with you. I joined a stupid mundane high school just for you, Holly, after Daniel told me you were Emily and Louis's daughter."

"Why wouldn't you care? And who the hell is Daniel?" Holly gasped in shock, almost dropping her coffee cup. Willow had acted so friendly around them, as if she enjoyed their friendship...but then again she did get easily annoyed with them and teased them around for being stupid a lot of the time.

"Never mind that, never should have been honest with you. Anyways, Daniel is a Shadowhunter who also went to your high school. He did it because he heard that your parents had a daughter who went there, and he figured out it was you. Since he's pretty bad at making mundane friends, I decided to do it for him, so I came in as a new student. I'm kinda surprised that you never noticed anything odd about me joining in the middle of the year and choosing a seat next to you, and only talking to you, and only-"

"Okay, I get the point." Holly laughed. "I just thought you might've enjoyed Aidan's company at least a _little_ bit. He seemed to, at least. Maybe even more than a little bit?"

"Well, he was cute, for a mundane." Willow admitted, but glared at her in embarrassment. "But I only put up with them because _you _did. I was kinda worried when the demon mentioned the lost pendant in front of them, though. The world of a shadowhunter's is not safe for mundanes."

"Speaking of the lost pendant, no one has really explained that to me," Holly muttered. "Larkin got all weird and he said that you and I and a few other Shadowhunters could go try and talk to my dad about it...but everyone seemed awkward."

"Well, uh, where to begin on that..." Willow thought for a moment. "It's a pretty important aspect of us Shadowhunters, but its been lost for like, a thousand years. They say it's in some sort of book in Idris, but no one knows how the hell to get their hands on it. Basically, it can be used to grant one wish of anyone who is wearing it, but only one. It's like a magical genie necklace...but instead of three wishes, only one.

And the thing about it is, Holly...you're the only one who can find it."


	5. Chapter 5

**This chapter is quite long :D I don't know when I'll be able to make the next one and how soon, so I'm updating quickly with a longer chapter so that way you guys can sit in the suspense, although I'm not sure whether or not it's a very good story with good suspense xD**

Holly rummaged through Willow's closet, searching for gear. "Where do you put it?" She muttered through clenched teeth as she weaved her way amongst Willow's hanging clothes, gazing about for any extra shadowhunter gear she could slip on.

"If you would've waited for me like I asked you to," Willow panted as she barged into the room, "you would know that I don't put it in my closet!" Holly perked up, backing out of the place where Willow hung her mundane clothes.

"Gear is different from mundane clothes, alright? I go a little OCD with it," Willow admitted, peeking under her freshly cleaned bed and pulling out a long, plastic container. "Let's just say I clean my gear a _lot_ after demon hunting and I'm very obsessed with folding and organizing all of it."

"That's interesting. Hmmm, I can imagine that on a newspaper headline. 'Can you believe this? Willow Youngwright folds her clothes!'", Holly teased, her voice oozing sarcasm. Willow rolled her eyes.

"Here, there a bit tight, but considering your shorter than me, and smaller, that shouldn't be too much of a problem," she said thoughtfully. Holly nodded, taking the black leather clothes out of her hands.

"I'm going to go to the bathroom to change," Holly explained as she slipped through Willow's bathroom doorway, sighing as she locked the door.

Larkin had, this morning, decided that Willow, Holly, and Daniel should go and investigate her house to pick up clothes and to ask her dad some questions about the lost pendant, since he used to be a member of the Clave in Idris. Holly also wanted to, personally, know more about him and her mother's past, and why her father never told her anything. She always guessed he was too drunk to talk about serious stuff, so she doubted that paying him a visit from three high school-aged Shadowhunters was gonna knock any sense into him.

Her mind wandered farther as she slipped on the tight gear. Willow was right, however. It felt comfortable on her, not like some old stuff that her friend might've worn in middle school. Holly guessed it was because Willow was always a lot taller than her that she could borrow her clothes like this. It wasn't like Holly was short or anything, just that Willow was taller than her.

Then she stepped out of the bathroom cautiously, glancing around to find Willow sitting on the bed, kicking the container with the edge of boot's heel, letting it slide back under the bed. She nodded toward Holly when she saw her.

"You look good in gear, I'll give ya that," Willow admitted. Holly turned toward Willow's mirror by her bed, looking at herself with a mixture of amazement and confusion.

Holly had never thought she necessarily looked good in anything- she had never had a boyfriend, not even in her ignorant years of middle school where everyone ran around crushing on each other and "dating". She didn't really care, not being with her friends all the time who never judged her. But as she looked in the mirror, she couldn't help but agree, at least in the slightest bit, with what Willow had said.

She was wearing a stretchy black tank top, with slimming leather black pants that were swallowed up by combat boots towards her feet. With her black hair, and all the black on her, her hair looked more shiny, yet it stood out less at the same time. And lastly, her fair, white skin tone seemed to glow in contrast against all the dark shades.

"Told you. Now, stop ogling at yourself in the mirror, even if it is a popular thing for mundane teens. Just put on this jacket," she paused to throw a leather jacket at Holly, and she slipped it on before Willow continued, "and let's go get you some weapons."

"I-I've never used a gun before," Holly murmured, almost tripping over her own feet. "Besides, why would we need to be armed, when we're going to _my house_? My dad is too drunk to hurt a fly."

"Demons," Willow said matter-of-factly, as if this was all a very obvious answer that she was teaching to a naive kindergartner. Holly sighed as she followed Willow out the door.

* * *

When they walked into the weaponry, Daniel was already there, standing on his tiptoes to grab a large sword. "Willow, do you know this ones name?" he sounded strained from the heavy weight of the sword as they entered the room.

"Ariel," Willow replied. Holly gave a perplexed look to Willow, hoping she would explain, but she was starting towards Daniel, taking the glimmering blade from him.

"And you, I don't believe we've officially met," Daniel stated, coming over to stand in front of Holly. He was quite the hotty, Holly thought as she stared at his deep brown eyes. His skin was evenly toned, and his short black hair looked great with his gear.

"I'm Daniel, though you probably already know because Willow can't keep her mouth shut," he held out a hand, and she took it nervously, letting him rock it back and forth in a polite, shaking gesture.

"I-I'm Holly, and you probably don't already know me because I was a mundane," Holly said quickly, not knowing what she was doing. Crap, she thought, that's a good way to ruin a first impression. Just be completely nervous and ruin your cool.

But Daniel didn't seem to mind. He just laughed a little and turned, grabbing the seraph blade from Willow. "Here," Daniel handed the blade to her, showing her how to hold it. Willow was glaring at her with that 'what the hell' kind of look you gave people when you were jealous. As Daniel guided her hands to the hilt of the sword, she backed away, and said, "thanks, but I've got it from here."

Daniel nodded, then turned to Willow. Her fiery golden stare had calmed down, but she was still glowering at Holly with mistrust. Holly cleared her throat, not just trying to clear away congestion, but also the lingering tension between her and her best friend.

"So, what is this sword and why does it have a name?" She asked quietly, as naively and small as she could sound, so she didn't sound like she thought she was a big shot or anything.

"It's called a seraph blade, and it's quite a popular weapon, too. During a fight, we depend on the angel the blade was named after to give us power. For example, your blade is named Ariel. So you would say its name, and the blade would be powered by the angel, Ariel. Simple." And although Willow had a light tone, Holly could still hear the coldness at the edge of it.

As Daniel walked over to the wall draped with weapons of all assortments and sizes, Holly grabbed Willow by her arm before she could follow him. "What's up with you? Why are you giving me the evil eye?" She whispered.

"Don't you dare try to get close to Daniel," she growled. "He's my _boyfriend_." Willow glared at her with hungry yellow eyes. They bore into Holly like miniature suns.

"I didn't know, okay? And besides, he didn't do anything but help me with the damn blade! If you're gonna ruin a friendship over a guy, one I can't even like because he's already dating _you_ anyways, I don't know who I choose to hang out with and why." Holly heard her voice rising, and once she saw Willow's face, she immediately regretted it.

"Clearly you're not the only one with bad taste in friends. Maybe you're not even the right daughter of Emily we were looking for, because your an awfully sorry mistake for a shadowhunter. You're mundane through and through." Willow snapped back, then whisked away to look at weapons with her boyfriend.

Holly stood there for a moment, completely hurt. She thought maybe she could talk to Larkin about her problems later, but for now they had somewhere to go. She hugged herself, even though the room was warm compared to the chilly outside.

Then she grabbed her seraph blade, and backed out of the room quietly. If Willow was gonna call her an excuse for a shadowhunter, she would prove her wrong. Holly dashed down the flight of stairs that led to the elevator. She jabbed the button that had an arrow pointing down, then started her descent towards New York, probably a few demons, and her father.

* * *

Willow grabbed one last dagger to jab under her belt. Daniel was fully equipped as well- with two seraph blades across his back and a dagger shoved into his boot. He might've even had a few different kinds of weapons under his belt too, even though Willow was sure he was pretty protected.

She had loved him since the moment she saw him. The kind of sixteen year old 'love at first sight' instinct you get. His parents and her parents both worked for the local Conclave, but were always out busy with demons or something, so they kept them at the Institute with trusty Larkin, who had been friends with them for years. That's where she met him, and also where he asked her out.

But it had really got under her skin to see Holly staring at _her_ boyfriend as if she was start struck, as if Daniel could be with her. Willow loved Holly's friendship, and was almost regretting what had gotten into her when she said those things to her best friend. But there was no time to make up with her now, they could make amends after. Later she would probably regret what she said to Holly even more, once she found out what her friend had gotten herself into.

"You done yet, Daniel?" Willow asked. Daniel nodded, tying the last laces of his long, demon-crushing boots. He stepped out the door, and Willow followed close behind. Then she realized that they were missing Holly.

"Where's Holly?" Daniel said first. Willow felt a small rage burn like fire on the inside of her chest, and then she cooled it down to reply, "I don't know...do you think she already left?"

"Probably, but this isn't good," Daniel murmured. "Her house could be crawling with demons right now, her dad could be dead...she can't go alone. Why weren't you watching her?" He turned on her, not unkindly, but he sounded a little disappointed.

"I'm not her guardian! I was getting weapons with you!" Willow exclaimed, her voice rising indignantly. "Whatever, we had better go now, before she hurts herself. No use fighting about it."

Daniel didn't reply, just rushed down the countless, tiring flights of stairs instead of taking the elevator. As they reached the small cathedral at the entrance of the Institute, he opened the gates, Willow panting and following close behind. Before he let Willow lead him to her house, though, he gave her a weird look, as if he knew why Holly had really left.

* * *

Holly felt around in her leather pockets before she remembered that she didn't have the key to her house. It was in her shorts from the other day, still in Willow's bathroom, probably waiting to get washed. She put her head in her hands in a brief moment of exaggeration, then pounded on the door, hoping that her father was at least sober enough to answer it.

No one answered. She banged on the door, then sighed as she realized no one was going to open. Either her dad was asleep, or...well, she didn't want to think of what else could have happened. But, she did think of what a shadowhunter would do in this situation. So she kicked the door as hard as she could, almost falling over, and then the rickety old door, with a groan, fell off of its hinges and she could see into her house.

The house was terribly messy, since Holly was usually there to clean up after her dad. But it looked a little messy for just a day's absence of cleanliness. Clothes were thrown everywhere, and the couch was torn, the stuffing coming out in dirty clumps. Under one of the clothe piles on the couch she could see an arm sticking out, and heaved the clothe pile to see her dad, sleeping there, probably hung over.

She shook him awake, and he groggily sat up with an annoyed grunt. Then he turned to her, and rubbed his eyes. He opened them slowly, drowsily, and then Holly opened her mouth to let out a scream, but none came out. His eyes were completely black, like endless tunnels of coldness and darkness. She started to back away, but slipped on some clothes and landed at the feet of her worst nightmare- the thing that had killed her mother -a Raum demon.


	6. Chapter 6

"Pendant girl," it gurgled. It's voice sounded like hell and death colliding to make one terrible noise. "Come with us..." It seemed to have trouble speaking.

Holly backed up against the couch, where her..."dad" was sitting. He didn't do anything to help her, just sat there, staring into empty, black space. Holly closed her eyes tightly, not wanting to look at the demon or her dad. "I'm not coming with you," she shouted. She wanted to slash with her seraph blade, but she couldn't bring herself to do it.

"You must help us find it, so we can make our...wish..." It paused again, it's voice bubbling up like a boiling pot of water. It's tentacles waved casually, trying to grab at Holly here and there, but the demon seemed to be resisting the urge to kill her.

"I don't know where the pendant is!" She crouched down. "Dad! Help!" Holly grabbed his arms and shook him, turning away from the Raum demon for a moment. Her dad got up, and then started to reform eerily. His skin peeled away, his eyes started to bulge. In a few seconds she was facing another Raum demon, it's tentacles around her arms.

The feeling was strange. The tiny suckers seemed to be penetrating at her skin, like little pricks from a needle. She tried not to focus on the pain, and instead she took the seraph blade, whispered "Ariel," and jabbed it at the demon's chest, nailing it in the heart. It let out a gurgling wail before black, gooey demon blood covered Holly's hands and it disintegrated into pitiful ashes.

She then turned towards the demon behind her, slowly and nervously. The Raum demon waved its tentacles frantically, but it didn't take a step back. "We need...girl...wish!" It exclaimed in its oily voice. It sounded like the disgusting, slimy sound maggots make when they squirm around inside of a dead carcass. Holly winced.

"I'm sorry, I don't grant wishes," she muttered before stabbing the Raum demon. It fell into a heap of ashes like the other demon, but since it was closer to the doorway, the wind started to sift the gray specks into the New York air. She looked down at her sword, and almost gagged as she saw the slimy, sticky blood covering the glowing blade. It was on the hilt and stuck to a few of her fingers, and she wiped them off ungratefully on her jacket.

"Hey, that jacket's just been cleaned! Don't ruin it with demon blood," Holly turned around as the familiar sarcastic voice of her friend sounded behind her. But no one was there. She started to realize that she missed Willow's friendship with an awful pang, and that she had been imagining what Willow might have said had she seen Holly doing that.

Then she turned and saw the door that lead to her room, and she swung it open to find it neat and orderly, as it always was. The demons must've just gotten here before I arrived, she thought. Only the living room and kitchen had been searched. She pulled open the sliding glass doors of her closet and hauled out a suitcase that she kept in there. She used to live with her grandparents before they died and she had to move back in with her dad.

They traveled a lot, and in their will they gave Holly a suitcase and money to take care of her and her dad. It may not have seemed like much of a sentimental or good gift for Holly, but when she was little, she always wanted to see the world and travel around. So it meant a lot to her. At least now, she could put it to good use.

She set the seraph blade down as its glow started to fade. Holly then started to take folded clothes out of her drawers and shove them into the large suitcase. She didn't have many things, so she would probably be able to pack all of her possessions, and then still have room. Eventually, she came to a small box in one of her drawers, and she opened it gingerly. Her grandparents had given this to her, for it had belonged to her mother.

Holly had never really looked inside, she wanted to keep it a mystery and a secret. She remembered an old conversation that had happened between her and her grandfather about it.

"Open it when the time is right," he had told her.

"When will I know? Is it magic?"

"Oh, trust me. When something happens that you won't believe, something like magic," he paused, then whispered, "open it."

She looked down at the box now, dismissing the memory. She had a strange instinct to open it now, not to wait any longer. Something like magic had happened, right? She found out that all along demons and angels were real, and that vampires and werewolves, faeries and warlocks, they were all true as well. She was pretty sure that was something she wouldn't believe and it would be like magic.

And so she opened it, and lifted the old top that covered up a mystery for so many years. It creaked, and then finally it was open, with dust scattering away from the scene. Holly coughed, then stared at the contents of the small box in shock. It was some of her mothers old, shadowhunter belongings.

In it was a stele, papers, and countless little trinkets and things that she didn't focus on to tell what they were. All she knew was that all of these things that were once her mother's, now belonged to her. Holly did have something to keep the memory of her dead parent alive, after all.

The stele was beautiful. It was glossy and black, and when she lifted it, it felt heavy and light at the same time. The point at the end was graceful and perfect for illustrating runes on one's delicate skin, such as Holly's. Under the stele was a small, leather bound journal. Holly lifted it carefully to look at anything that might have been under the journal.

She was right- a few more prized possessions of her mother, now hers, laid under the diary. Three photos of a beautiful countryside landscape and a polished, wooden manor house were on there. Two were just different angles of them, and one was larger than the other two, with what must have been a picture of her mother and her father when they were Shadowhunters; they were both dressed in black, demon hunting gear.

Rather than the photos, there was a small, rock like object that was a little lumpy. It was large enough to fit in her hand, but she didn't know what it was. Either way, she could ask her friends later, and besides, she was gonna keep it because it belonged to her mother. There was also a gold, circular bracelet with a small emerald gemstone in the center.

She looked at the photograph of her mother and father, and saw her mother raising one of her arms, the bracelet around her wrist. The emerald looked like it was pulsing, a little blurred around it, as if it was glowing in and out. Holly dismissed the thought, pushing the photo and things she took out back into the box. They probably had some sort of meaning to the Shadowhunters, and Larkin would explain later. Then she placed it delicately on the bottom of her suitcase, locking the lid of the box as she did so.

Eventually her small amount of possessions had been all fit neatly into the suitcase, her room cleared out except for her furniture, of course, and bedspread. She caught sight of the lava lamp on her nightstand that her grandma had given to her for her tenth birthday, and she grabbed it, hugging it tight to her chest. If Holly was going to be living at the Institute, she might as well make it feel more like home.

"Quite the hoarder, there." Holly spun around to see Daniel leaning in the doorway, Willow panting behind him. Holly looked down at her large suitcase self-consciously.

"I was just packing my things. If I'm gonna live at the Institute, I wanted to bring my things with me. I mean, I'm sure I could use one of the spare bedrooms, since no one is there but us...right?" She mumbled hastily.

"No, there are other Shadowhunters at the Institute," Willow spoke in between gulps of air. "You just haven't had the time to meet them. Anyways, sure you can use one of our spare bedrooms." The friendliness had returned back to her tone, and Holly sighed in quiet relief. She tried to choke down her small crush on her friend's boyfriend.

Daniel nodded, then walked out of the room, giving Willow an odd look, and Holly an even odder one. "I'm going to go check the house's perimeters for demon activity." Holly perked up, but Daniel was already in the living room before she could tell of her earlier experience.

"I was gonna say I ran into two Raum demons just a second ago," Holly exclaimed. Willow's eyes widened in faint surprise, amusement flickering in them.

"A shadowhunter raised like a mundane could never survive an attack from a Raum demon, let alone _two_. So I hope you're joking, because otherwise I'm probably gonna worry for your sanity." She laughed nervously, as if she wasn't really sure whether or not Holly was fooling around.

"No, I'm being serious. They didn't even attack me, that's the thing. They just wanted me to help find the lost pendant for them, but I don't know where it is...apparently one killed my dad, too. So that's that." She tried to keep it at a light, breezy tone, but the pain of her father's death never really set in until now.

"Oh...I'm so sorry, Holly," Willow murmured. For once, Holly could actually hear a slight twinge of empathy coming from the lips of her friend, a friend that had always been so aloof and sarcastic. It sent a shock wave of surprise through Holly's veins, put she tried to mask it before Willow could see that Holly had never thought of her as a sympathetic person.

"Don't worry, I get it. It sucks to lose a parent," Willow started, but then trailed off. She didn't elaborate, and just left it at that. Holly nodded respectfully, but a twinge of curiosity still tugged at her mind. She wanted to know what Willow wasn't telling anybody.

But before any questions could be developed, Daniel poked through the door. "The Sensor didn't pick up any activity whatsoever. It's pretty weird, especially since suddenly Holly's dad disappeared and all."

"Two Raums were here, actually," Holly retorted. "And they asked me to find some sort of-"

"Yes, two Raum demons were here according to Holly. One took possession of her father, but she had to kill it." Willow said shortly, abruptly cutting Holly off, who zipped up her fully packed suitcase and stood up, crossing her arms indignantly.

Daniel scowled in confusion, walking into the room and waving around his Sensor. "I just don't get it. There should be some demon activity picking up, even if it's not fresh. And if they were after your dad or you, Holly, they would've at least been smart enough to search this room for anything that could help them."

"Unless they were holograms?" Willow suggested. Daniel whirled around, holding up his Sensor high, squinting up at the buttons.

"No, not holograms. Not if Holly was able to kill them." He replied.

"Well, if it's not picking up any previous activity, maybe they were careful not to leave a trace, or maybe it's being overwritten by new activity." Holly said slowly, looking around nervously. She reached for the seraph blade next to her suitcase, and raised it up defensively.

"What do you mean?" Willow inquired, searching Holly's face. Holly looked at her seriously, for Willow knew exactly what she meant.

"I mean, demons are still here."


End file.
